Memoirs of a Hustler

I first met Amber Dawn back in the late 90s at UBC in a Creative Writing class. I liked her immediately - her personality, and especially her writing. I then interviewed her for an article in the campus paper and was amazed by her incredible tale and life that she had lived up to that point. When was this girl gonna write a memoir already??

 

 Cut to over a decade later and one full length novel under her belt (the award winning Sub Rosa), and my wish for her memoir is finally coming to fruition. How Poetry Saved My Life - A Hustler's Memoir launches tonight at Pat's Pub (403 East Hastings) beginning at 7pm.

 "This story, told in prose and poetry, offers a frank, multifaceted portrait of the author's experiences hustling the streets of Vancouver, and the how those years took away her self-esteem and nearly destroyed her; at the crux of this autobiographical narrative is the tender celebration of poetry and literature, which―as the title suggests―acted as a lifeline during her most pivotal moments." - from the press release

 We've kept in touch over the years and our paths continued to cross. I'm excited to hear her read from her book, as well as to devour the words on the pages for myself.

 Hosted by Billeh Nickerson (Impact: The Titanic Poems, McPoems),with special guests Leah Horlick (Riot Lung) and Fiona Tinwei Lam (Enter the Chrysanthemum).

 Check out the Facebook event page here.

Sky Ferreira at the Biltmore

Last night I went to the Sky Ferreira concert at the Biltmore. I like the EP she had out and I think she has major potential, so to see her in such an intimate space was quite a treat! She had two opening bands, one of which I fell in love with instantly!

The High Highs is the name of the band, and I don't know anything else about them really. I know I liked their music enough to and buy their CD from the merch booth. I then stopped the lead singer after their set was done to tell him that I thought they were awesome! Turns out, they are on Sony Music (according to the CD) and in the liner notes, they thank Sir Elton John for believing in them.

Here's the title track of their latest album, Open Season:

I found their music ethereal and mystical, with a tinge of nostalgia and hints of late summer evenings. I can't wait to listen to this CD!

The second act that came on was How To Dress Well, and he/they did a good job getting the crowd even more enthused for the main event.

Then of course it was time for Sky Ferreira to take the stage, and she was adorable and cute and sung wonderfully! Some of the songs I didn't even know, so I'm glad to hear material from her that I wasn't familiar with and liked! Of course, the banger of the night was her finale, Everything is Embarassing, which everybody went nuts for!




Thank you all for coming to Vancouver, it was a superb concert!!!

BC Book Prizes Soirée 2013

So my children's book  has been nominated for a BC Book Prize!! Woo hoo! I'm very excited! Here's a full list of all the finalists!

Come on down to celebrate with all the nominees on Wednesday, April 10 at the BC Book Prize Soirée 2013! It runs from 6-830pm at Joe's Apartment (919 Granville Street) and admission is free!

You can also check out the event on Facebook and RSVP there, or just show up at the door! Hope to see  you there!